Circuit-closing device



March 26,l 17929. w, F, RAAB 1,707,176

CIRCUIT CLOSING DEVICE Filed May 2, 1924 Patente-d Mar. 26, 1929.

unime PATENT orme.

WILLIAM-11. RAAB, or NEW YORK, N. Y; l

cIRcUIT-'ci'o'smcr- Device.

Apiieation fued Mayl 2,'

This inventionrelatesA to a' circuit closingr device for applicatioifi" to the" steering postor an automotive vehicle and vvhieli is actuated by the .turning movement o" the Steer ing Wlieel of the vehicle' to closey electric circuits to an electrically illmninat'ed 'indi-v ator at therein' end of the vehicle to indi'- czite to Vthe driver or" afolloivingg-` vehicle that the automobile equipped with such deviceis about to turn a corner to the right or left or to pull over to the right orj left.

A further object of the invention 'is to 'provide device ofthe/character inet mentioned which may be readily applied 'to'auto'n'iobilee` in nee or during factory construction thereo'tf, and which iS adapted tobe applied to Steering wheele and i p oste or colm'nne of ditilerent Sizes and designs.

Titlrthe'ee 'and other objecte andadvan# tageein-view, the inventioirconsists in the n column o an' automobile having the im# proved device impliedl thereto;

F 2" is an enlargedtopplan view ofthe lower section ormember ofthe device which is applied .to the steering poet` oi co'lmmoi an automobilegA Fig; iie a view siinilar to Fig. 2, showing the top Section n vwhich Seem Ato the steering Wheel, this membe' being' ii'rverted andl the View illus# trating the bottoni thereof;

Fig. 1 is a transverse"verticalsection on the line 1 -4, Fig'. 3, Witlrboth sections oi members shown by Figs. 2 'andfassembledg Fig. 5 sis a section on thf'e line ofi-5, Fig. 8, throi'igh the 'two members assembled and in a plane ata right :ingle to 'the eec'tio'ii Shown bylig. f1; and

Fig. Gien sectionon `the line G--6, Fig.I 5:

vInthe drawings in1iicates 4the steering Wheel of an automotive" vehicle" and 6" the or' of:l the device" steering column thereof, andv 7 and 8' indi#` the steering wheel and is freely iovablewitli' the latter, and the section or member 8 isV fixed to the Steering poet or colnmn" 6', the

two membere oi" eeetionsha-ving interfitting 1924i sei-iai No. 7101662.

relationa's clearly shown by Figs. l and. Both sections or members 7 and 8 are preferably circular in contour' and the Section or member 7 haea central opening 9 to' receive the hub of thest'eering Wheel 5 and the section or member' S has a central opening,` 10 to receive thev eteering'post or column 67.7' The' member or Section' 7 comprises an outer, preferably metallic, casing n11 with an in'- Wardly projecting 'top flange 12, andthe Section'or member 8 has a Surrounding= casing' livhich aleoie preferably formed of metal. For convenience m applying the improved attachment to the steering Wheel and' steering* post or column of automobiles which' have been structurally completed andare in use, tlie tivo Sectionsoi" members 7 and`8 are' orrhedlin semicirci'ilai halves, including all the partethereor, thetwo'halves being'separably connected through themedium of diametrically oppoeid aperture'd and ecrev7n threaded lugs or ears 14, toreceive reiiiovable bolts or connecting pine 1.5, which are aleo screw-threaded, as pa-rticiillrly shown'in section by' Fig. 3. The cap eectioiior`r m`en`1l ber 7 containsan ineulting ring comprising' eei'iiiecircular sectionej 16, which are jointed rin line' with the opposite joints olftl'ie metal# lic casingV 7, this `ineu'latiifig' ring being of' Width equal tothe top flange 12, and iinbeddedandsecurediin the insulating ring is" a metallic condiictinicg` ring coii'eistingof tivo eei'i'iicirculer' sectione 17 and 18, which have overlapped `ends 19, tofprovide for a rlii'eh fitting and continuity of the conducting` means. condu D ring sections 17 or 18 arid as shown in the ringeection 17, an auxiliary metal conducting strip' 20 is Secured and'lhas a central'projection 21.

The section or member 8 has aperipheral flange 22,*which is continuons with relation to vthe two sections of Athe Said: section' or member, tolit Within the periplieral [lange 23 of ilie two parte o1` the Section or member 7, and an internal shoulder 24 is'formed in the flange gvhereby the flange 22 may Within the harige v23",-arid the edge of the' liange 23 bears against an external'shoulder 25 of the Surrounding caeing of the bottom section' or) member 8. By this means` a close fitting cflhe two sections or members 7 and 8 is provided, but the section or member 7 is freely rotatable on the section or member 8. The section or member difiere somewhat in ite construction and arrangements of parts At a certain location on one of the relatively to the section or member 7. lVithin the flange 22 ot the section or member 8 is a ring of insulating material com prising semicircular sections 2G, which are olf greater width than the sections 16 ot the section or member 7 in view of the smaller opening formed in the center oil the said member or section 8. Embedded and secured in the one section 2G ol the section on member 8 are two segmental conducting strips 27 and 2S, preferably formed ot met and in the other insulating ring section 2G are shorter segn'iental conducting strips 29 and 30, the adjacent ends of the strips 29 and 30 being separated by a gap of considn erable width, as at 31, by the insulating ina terial of the ring section C36. The abutting ends of the conducting strips 27 and 29 and ot' the strips 28 and 80 are overlapped, as at 32 and 33, so that the strips 29 and 3l) form in eiliect continuations of the strips 27 and 23, respectively. The adjacent ends oit the strips 27 and 28 are separated and each oli' said ends is eoncaved, as at 234i-, around and above but separated from the upper terminal ot a metallic cup or socket 35 secured in. the .insulating material and having its highest point terminating below the conducting strips 27 and 28, and depending from the adjacent Yterminals ot Vthe latter conducting strips into openings 3G through the insulating material are internally screwthreaded sockets 37 and 38. The cup or socket 35 has a depending hollow interim-ly screw-threaded stem 39, the said socket 35 and its stem 39 being mounted in an opening 40 between the openings 3G and separated from the latter openings by the insulating material of the one segmental section 26. The hollow stem 39 is practically a socket ot less diameter than the main portion ot the socket above the .fame and extends into and through a recess ll in the bottom metallic flange 4t2 olf the section or member 8, the latter having an opening 4123 therethrough in central relation to the recess 41, to permit the introduction and seeurement of insulated circuit wires del, and 4G, the terminals of these wires beingsecured to the respective sockets 87, 38 and. 39 by screws 47, as clearly shown by Figs. 5 and (3. Tithin the centrally located main socket 35 a spring .18 is mounted, and fitted thercovcr and lireely movable in the said. socket is a metallic push-button or anti-trie tional member 49, which is held by said spring in continual contact with the con ducting ring composed ot the sections 17 and 1S of the cap section or member 7.

The improved. attachment just explained .is electrically connected to any suitable direction indicating` means installed at the rear ot the automobile or other vehicle.

The wir i6 connected to the tubular stem 39 ot the socket 40 in which the springactuated contact member or button 49 mounted is connected to one pole o a source of electric current (not shown). The wire Lll connected to one terminal ot the electric lamp of the signaling device to indie cate a right-hand turn and the wire Ll5 connected to one terminal ot the electric lamp to indicate a lett-hand turn. '.lhe other terminals ot said electric lamps are connected in any suitable manner to the opposite pole of the source ot electric current from the Vwire elG. T ie illumination oi either of the signal lights will depend upon the movement o'rf the steering wheel 5 carrying the section or member 7 and rotatably associated with the section or member tl liXed to the steerilig post or `column b as shown by llig. l. VThen the contact projection. of the auxiliary conduct* i strip 2() is located within the gap 31 and bears upon the insulating' material between the adjacent ends ot the said metal connecting strips 29 and 30, neither ot the signalling lights 'will be illuminated, but when the steering lever is turned to the right or lett, the contact projection 2l will engage either the segmental conducting strip 29 or the .similar strip 30 and. close the electric circuit to the appropriate signaling light in accordance with the turning or change ot direction ot movement ot the automobile as effected by the driver. In completing the circuit .it will. be observed that the central. wire 4G connecting with the socket 4.0 and the pushbutton or yielding contact 49 will always bring the same pole ot the source oit electric current into operation with relation to either oit' the circuits embodying the wires la and 45, and. that the movable character of the push-biltton or yielding contact 49 reduces the friction between the same and the connecting strip 18 carried by the upper section or member 7 and the circuit. will be completed by the contact projection olf the auxiliary stri p 2O when` in engagement with either of the said i'netal conducting strips 29 or 30.

The insulating material mountedv in the two sections or members 7 and 8 and in which the connecting strips 18, 17, 27, 28, 29 and 80 are mounted. is preferably formed of a suitable phenol condensation product. It will be understood, however, that any suitable insulating material may be used. Moreover, as hereinbel'm'e explained, 'for convenience in applying the device to the steering wheel or post or column7 the sections or members 7 and 8 are formed in 'two parts so that they may be readily applied in operative position and secured. then the device is applied to an automobile duringr the manufacture oit the latter, the sectional i'ea- 'ture ot lthe sections or members 7 and S may be eliminated and the same operation as to control ot direction means at the rear of the lll) machine will practically ensue by ythe turning movement of the steering Wheel.

It is also proposed to modify the proportions, dimensions and minor details of' construction and arrangement of the several parts to accommodate various applications oi the device to dil'l'erent types ot steering wheels and posts or columns.

YWhat is claimed as new is:

A steering wheel and post control switch ot the class specied, comprising two interi'itting relatively rotatable members; ot circular contour, each of said members having a ce trai circular opening therethrough, the opening ot one 'of said members beingl adapted to receive and be secured to the hub ot the ring wheel of a vehicle and the opening si( ot the other member being adapted to receiveV and be secure-d to the steering post of such vehicle, said first named member havin g a lower recess to fit over the last named member and having an insulation therein in 'which is embedded a metallic conducting` ring consisting of two semi-circular sections having overlapped ends, one of the sections having an auxiliary conducting strip projecting from one tace thereof and formed with a central projection, the other member likewise having` an insulating section therein in which are embedded two metallic segmental conductingl strips of which a pair o the opposed ends are separated by a gap, a metallic cup carried by the latter member between and spaced from the other pair of the opposed ends of said conducting strips, said cup having' a terminal for connection to an electrical conductor, terminals for connection with electrical conductors depending from said conducting` strips adjacent the latter ends of said strips, and a springt,` actuated button in said cup and held in continual Contact with the conducting` ring ot said iirst named member.

n testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand..

VILLIAM l1 RAAB. 

